Randwick is intent on going it alone in the new National Rugby Championship in the future, despite the Sydney club and arch-rival Eastern Suburbs being named as key partners of the NSW Country team for this year's debut tournament which starts in August.

But Randwick, while saying it initially sought to create an eastern seaboard NRC franchise with Eastern Suburbs and Southern Districts, has reiterated that this year it will remain committed to the partnership with NSW Country that was announced on Monday.

However Randwick president Bob Dwyer said a major plus for the iconic club was the financial relief it would get as it implements its planned rebuild as a Shute Shield force, with NSW Country having already secured ''tremendous financial support'' for the NRC.

''It’s a very good relationship for us. Financially, it relieves us of the burden we would have had had we gone alone initially,'' Dwyer said on Wednesday at Randwick's launch of the Shute Shield that starts on Saturday with Randwick playing Eastern Suburbs at Woollahra Oval.

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''They [NSW Country] understand it is still our intention to go it alone [at] some stage in the future. It might be as early as in one more year, or it might be another year or two after that, but it's certainly our intention to go it alone in the superior level of competition.''

But Dwyer stressed that NSW Country would also gain much from having Randwick and Eastern Suburbs as its partners. ''What they [NSW Country] are short of is players and what Easts and Randwick have got are players,'' Dwyer said. ''We believe we have a lot more to offer them as well and have told them so. [But] the head partner are clearly NSW Country.''

Randwick director and former Wallaby Simon Poidevin said the club would decide on what future in the NRC it will pursue after this year's competition.

Asked how Randwick would handle its relationship with NSW Country, knowing it might part ways, Poidevin said: ''Through trust and being totally committed to the first year. At the end of the first year, we might think this is the model to work with going forward.

''Clearly everyone has aspirations to be their own entity. We've had some very interesting strategic discussions with partners on that. But we are totally committed to this partner. We will work for the best success of the team – and to give our players opportunity to play at that higher level. It will be clearer at the end of the first year where we go from there.''

Poidevin lauded the NRC for providing Australian rugby with a third tier of competition under Test and Super Rugby, but he said Randwick's association with NSW Country would allow it to remain focused on returning as the powerful stand-alone club it once was.

''We are clearly re-building to where we want to be. That has been a very strong focus,'' Poidevin said. ''The NRC was another level of complexity to where we are going and to be able [to] partner with Country was a fantastic outcome.''

As for Saturday's Shute Shield derby between Randwick and Eastern Suburbs?

Poidevin joked that it would be a ''great selection'' match for which players from the two sides are later picked to play for NSW Country. But then he added with a wry grin: ''No ... It's all about the local derby.''

5 comments so far

There will be alot of 1st year teething problems, no question. And why it would of been better to have it in some ways start at 2016 season, after RWC 2015. But there would of been teething problems then too. The argument to start now is, getting a bigger TV rights deal for the next super rugby deal starting 2016. How much starting now is I don't know, but it seems the shute shield has been cut back to acommadate the NRC. In many ways there should be just 2 comps or Tiers.-A national comp/ or a trans-tasman comp (and no South Africa in Super rugby)-As all 3 nations now are funding 3 comps or Tiers (South Africa have Vodacom cup which is 1 below Curie Cup, plus the SARU community Cup which is the 4th-Tier there.-AFL,NRL,A-league, all only have 1 national comp, then state leagues. AFL has the NEAFL which covers(QLD/NSW/ACT all east coast, but not national) Basketball in OZ has the SEABL.-Travel costs are higher in OZ than NZ/South Africa. But it does bring up the question do we need 3-Tiers rather than 2, as AFL/NRL/A-league don't.-In some ways it would be better to have say a 15-16 Team Trans-Tasman comp.(10 aussy/5 kiwi teams) kinda like Netball or NRL,NBLAnd dtich South Africa, and allow aussie/kiwi players unlimited on both sides of nations, as in the NRL where kiwis unlimited can play for Australian NRL teams and still play for the kiwis.NZ/Aust players have to play for super rugby nations in there own country to be selected which is harsh. Just hope this comp is financially viable, as you wonder if we need a 11-week NRC and Super rugby. Will an 11-week comp really find/unearth new talent? Unlikely.

Commenter

Sydney

Location

Alan of Roseville

Date and time

March 27, 2014, 2:58AM

So its all about Randwick and not about rugby! I can see that NSW Country will be battling to get the "head" say in what goes on with players. Randwick,Dywer , Poidevin(an ex country boy) et al seem to believe that they are more important to rugby than having to work with NSW Country. How many Shute shield players originated in the bush are were told the only way to progress was to go to Sydney? Its about time clubs like Randwick pulled their heads in for the sake of rugby and got with the program!

Commenter

From the backrow

Location

Country

Date and time

March 27, 2014, 8:30AM

Really backrow? Country is a quaint little competition that has little depth whilst Randwick in former days was probably the best club side in the world. Whilst not in that league these days, snubbing Randwick and making them play subservient to Country is insulting in the least.If the new competition wants credibility and crowds, they need to include some of the history in order to get people to invest emotionally in it. Otherwise who's going to watch it?

Commenter

Wake-up

Date and time

March 27, 2014, 1:58PM

If Randwick think they will EVER be accepted into the NRC as a stand-alone club, they are barking up the wrong tree and clearly misread the ARU's intentions for the NRC.The ARU is not interested in stand-alone clubs in this comp. That is why Sydney University (the club most likely to be able to play as a stand-alone in the NRC) teamed up with Balmain Subbies. Randwick should be bloody grateful that NSW Country has permitted their (Randwick's) association with the Country syndicate, pull their heads in and get with the program, as stated by @fromthebackrow, above.

Commenter

Big Dog

Location

Sydney

Date and time

March 27, 2014, 5:33PM

The NRC hasn't even started and Randwick are already discussing dumping Country. All class.